The Ming Dynasty: The most ruthless imperial grandson, Old Zhu begged me not to kill him.

Chapter 668 A Plan Within a Plan
The night was as dark as ink, and the deep palace was completely silent.

Zhu Xiong Ying stood in the hall, his gaze deep, as if piercing through layers of darkness and reaching the distant border.

These past few days, he has been pondering his next strategy.

Although the crackdown had shown initial success, he knew that Timur's ambitions were far from over.

"Your Highness, I have important news to report."

Li Jinglong rushed in, his expression showing a hint of tension and urgency.

"The scouts report that the Timurid Empire's troops on the border seem to be making unusual movements."

"Although their troops show no signs of attacking for the time being, there appears to be a large-scale mobilization within their ranks."

"My subordinates are worried that they may be preparing for a larger military operation."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"The Timurid Empire's patience is finally running out."

"They thought they could secretly accumulate strength and find an opportunity to counterattack."

"But every move they make is already under our control."

His voice was deep and cold, every word conveying boundless courage and decisiveness.

"Pass down the order to continue closely monitoring their movements."

"At the same time, the troops on the border were ordered to make all necessary preparations for battle and not to be complacent in the slightest."

Li Jinglong immediately nodded in agreement, then asked, "Your Highness, should we take the initiative to disrupt their plans?"

Zhu Xiong Ying shook his head slightly, his gaze sweeping coldly across the night sky outside the window.

"There's no need to rush into an attack."

"The Timurid Empire is still testing our bottom line, and they dare not act rashly."

"What we need to do is put pressure on them, but not give them any excuse to attack."

"The best time for us to strike back will be when their patience is completely exhausted and they show their weaknesses."

Although his voice was calm, every word he spoke conveyed endless coldness and wisdom.

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong suddenly realized what was going on.

"Your Highness is absolutely right. We must not easily alert the enemy."

"The Timurid Empire's ambitions are obvious. We just need to wait for them to reveal all their cards before we can crush their conspiracy in one fell swoop."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"These foreign enemies thought they could threaten our Great Ming in this way, but they underestimated our determination."

"We must not only disrupt their military deployments, but also completely destroy their confidence."

"Let them understand that anyone who dares to invade my Great Ming will face annihilation."

His voice was deep and resolute, revealing endless coldness and decisiveness.

***
A few days later, intelligence from the border began to reach the capital more and more frequently.

Timurid Empire's troops are moving more and more frequently on the border, seemingly intensifying preparations.

Zhu Xiong Ying's gaze grew increasingly cold, and his thoughts gradually became clearer.

"Your Highness, according to reports from our spies, the Timurid Empire's army has begun to assemble and seems to be preparing to launch a large-scale military operation."

Li Jinglong came to report again, his expression showing some worry.

"I am worried that the number of troops they have mobilized this time far exceeds that of the past."

"If we don't deal with it in time, there could be big trouble at the border."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying frowned slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"The Timurid Empire was indeed unwilling to give up easily."

"They thought that by doing this, they could force our Ming Dynasty to back down."

“But they were wrong.”

His voice was low and calm, but every word conveyed endless decisiveness and ruthlessness.

"Order the border troops to immediately strengthen their defenses and prepare for a full-scale battle."

"But remember, do not launch an attack for the time being."

"We want them to think that the court is watching and that their attack can succeed."

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong was slightly taken aback, then suddenly realized.

"Is Your Highness trying to lure them into revealing more weaknesses?"

Zhu Xiong Ying smiled slightly, his eyes revealing profound wisdom.

“That’s right.” “Although the Timurid Empire’s army has assembled, their actions are not entirely secretive.”

"They are testing our reaction, trying to disrupt our plans with a quick attack."

"What we need to do is make them feel that they are about to succeed."

"The best time for us to counterattack will be when their army is fully exposed to our view."

Although his voice was soft, every word he spoke was filled with boundless wisdom and ruthlessness.

Li Jinglong immediately understood Zhu Xiong Ying's plan and nodded in agreement.

"Understood, Your Majesty. I will immediately issue orders to the border troops to ensure that there are no unforeseen circumstances."

"This time, we must completely thwart Timur's conspiracy."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping coldly across the distant horizon.

"These foreign enemies thought they could threaten our Great Ming in this way, but every single one of their plans has long been under our control."

"What we need to do is to destroy all their hopes when they are at their most triumphant."

His voice was deep and calm, revealing boundless courage and wisdom.

***
Several days later, the atmosphere at the border became increasingly tense.

The Timurid Empire's army has amassed a large force and seems poised to launch an attack at any moment.

However, Zhu Xiong Ying remained inactive, patiently waiting for the best opportunity to arrive.

"Your Highness, the Timurid Empire's army has begun to enter our borders, and the situation is becoming increasingly urgent."

Li Jinglong arrived with the latest intelligence, his expression showing some anxiety.

“Their actions are becoming increasingly audacious, and my subordinates are worried that if we don’t respond in time, the border could be breached.”

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying remained calm, without the slightest hint of panic on her face.

"The Timurid Empire's army finally couldn't hold back any longer."

"Their biggest mistake was thinking we were just watching."

He said this with an air of unwavering resolve and ruthlessness.

"Pass down the order: the border troops shall immediately launch a counterattack."

"But remember, don't go all out. Make them feel that we are resisting, but not strong enough to completely stop them."

"Lure them in, and when they are completely exposed to our encirclement, launch a full-scale counterattack."

Upon hearing this, Li Jinglong immediately realized what was going on and nodded in agreement.

"Your Highness understands. I will immediately order the border troops to act according to Your Highness's plan."

Zhu Xiong Ying nodded slightly, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.

"Although Timur's army is fierce, we have seen through every move they make."

"What we need to do is to lure them step by step into the trap we have carefully laid."

“When the time is right, they will have nowhere to escape.”

His voice was deep and calm, but every word was full of wisdom and decisiveness.

***
Several days later, reports from the border battle arrived.

Just as Zhu Xiong Ying had predicted, the Timurid Empire's army was successfully lured into the Ming army's encirclement.

They thought they could make a quick breakthrough, but little did they know that they had already fallen into Zhu Xiong Ying's trap.

"Your Highness, a great victory at the border!"

Li Jinglong arrived excitedly to report, his expression filled with barely suppressed joy.

"The Timurid Empire's army was surrounded by us on the border and suffered a complete defeat!"

"Their main force was almost entirely wiped out, leaving them with no capacity to launch any large-scale offensives."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Xiong Ying's lips curled into a cold smile.

"As expected, they eventually fell into our trap."

"This victory not only thwarted the Timurid Empire's conspiracy, but also completely destroyed their ambitions."

"They thought they could threaten my Great Ming Dynasty in this way, but in the end they could only swallow the bitter fruit of their own making."

Although his voice was calm, every word he spoke conveyed boundless decisiveness and ruthlessness.

"This victory is not just a military victory."

"More importantly, it made everyone understand that anyone who dares to challenge the authority of the imperial court will pay a heavy price."

"Whether it's foreign enemies or those local forces with ulterior motives, their fate will be sealed."

(End of this chapter)